William Brayton (August 27, 1787 – August 5, 1828) was a Vermont attorney, politician, and judge. He served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1817 to 1821.
William Brayton | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court | |
| In office 1817–1821 | |
| Preceded by | William A. Palmer |
| Succeeded by | Charles K. Williams |
| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Swanton | |
| In office 1817–1817 | |
| Preceded by | James Brown |
| Succeeded by | James Brown |
| Judge of the Franklin County, Vermont Court | |
| In office 1815–1816 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph D. Farnsworth |
| Succeeded by | Joseph D. Farnsworth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 27, 1787 Lansingburgh, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 5, 1828 (aged 40) Burlington, Vermont |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery, Burlington, Vermont |
| Political party | Democratic–Republican |
| Spouse | Hortensia Penniman (m. 1812–1827, her death) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Williams College (attended) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Biography edit
William Brayton was born in Lansingburgh, New York[1] (now part of the city of Troy) on August 22, 1787.[1] His family was residing in Greenfield, New York[2] when Brayton attended Williams College from 1800 to 1801.[3] He left college before graduating, studied law, and attained admission to the bar of Franklin County, Vermont in 1807.[4] Brayton settled in Swanton, where he established a successful practice and became active in politics and government as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party.[4] In addition, he served as Swanton's postmaster from 1809 to 1815.[5] Those who studied law under Brayton with the intention of becoming attorneys included David M. Camp.[6] In 1815, Brayton was named presiding judge of the Franklin County Court.[4] In 1816, he was chosen as one of Vermont's presidential electors, and he cast his ballot for James Monroe and Daniel D. Tompkins for president and vice president.[1] In 1817, he represented Swanton in the Vermont House of Representatives.[4]
In 1817, Brayton was appointed a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, succeeding William A. Palmer,[7] and relocated to St. Albans.[4] He served until 1821, and was succeeded by Charles K. Williams.[7] After leaving the bench he moved to Burlington, where he practiced law until his death.[8]
Death and burial edit
Brayton died in Burlington on August 5, 1828;[8] he was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Burlington.[9]
Family edit
In 1812, Brayton married Hortensia Penniman (1795-1827), the daughter of Frances Montresor (Ethan Allen's widow) and Jabez Penniman.[10] Their children included: Frances Margaret (1814-1854); Agnes Abigail (1816-1902); Cornelia (1817-1855); William Henry (1820-1854); and Hannibal (1823-1825).[10]
Frances was the wife of Henry Norton, and died in Fayetteville, a now defunct community near Elkhorn, Wisconsin.[10] Agnes married John Adam Brinegar, and died in Granby, Missouri.[10] Cornelia was the wife of Valentine Seman Ferris (1809-1879) of Vergennes.[10] William Henry died in California.[10]
References edit
- ^ a b c Vermont Legislative Directory, p. 219.
- ^ "Catalogue of Students in Williams' College, November 1800", p. 4.
- ^ General Catalogue of the Non-graduates of Williams College, 1796-1920, p. 6.
- ^ a b c d e "The Supreme Court of Vermont, Part III: William Brayton", pp. 83–83.
- ^ The History of Swanton, Vermont, p. 42.
- ^ Biography of the Bar of Orleans County, Vermont, pp. 59–60.
- ^ a b History of Vermont, Natural, Civil and Statistical, p. 124.
- ^ a b "Ruminations: The Trial of Jesse and Stephen Boorn", p. 16.
- ^ Elmwood Cemetery.
- ^ a b c d e f The Allen Memorial: Descendants of Samuel Allen of Windsor, Conn., 1604-1907, pp. 259–260.
Sources edit
Books edit
- General Catalogue of the Non-graduates of Williams College, 1796-1920. Williamstown, MA: Williams College. 1920.
- Allen, Orrin Peer (1907). The Allen Memorial: Descendants of Samuel Allen of Windsor, Conn., 1604-1907. II. Palmer, MA: C. B. Fiske & Company.
- Baldwin, Frederick W. (1886). Biography of the Bar of Orleans County, Vermont. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Watchman and State Journal. p. 59.
- Fleetwood, Frederick G.; Vermont Secretary of State (1902). Vermont Legislative Directory. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Watchman Co.
- Ledoux, Rodney R. (1988). The History of Swanton, Vermont. Swanton, VT: Swanton Historical Society.
- Thompson, Zadock (1842). History of Vermont, Natural, Civil and Statistical. Burlington, VT: Chauncey Goodrich.
Internet edit
- Library of Congress Transcript (January 10, 2017). "Catalogue of Students in Williams' College, November 1800" (PDF). cdn.loc.gov/. Washington, DC: Library of Congress.
- "Elmwood Cemetery: a walking tour of Burlington's history" (PDF).
Magazines edit
- Gilles, Paul S. (Summer 2012). "Ruminations: The Trial of Jesse and Stephen Boorn". Vermont Bar Journal. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Bar Association.
- Taft, Russell S. (February 1, 1894). "The Supreme Court of Vermont, Part III: William Brayton". The Green Bag. Boston, MA: Boston Book Company.